1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hinges, and more particularly, to a hinge which distributes imposed forces to its housing.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hinges are used for a variety of applications to allow one part to be rotatably moved with respect to a second part. For example, hinges are typically used to couple a seat bottom and seat back of a seat in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile or a boat. The typical hinge includes an upper part connected to the seat back and a lower part connected to the seat bottom. A pin is provided through apertures on both the upper and lower parts. The pin allows the two parts and the seat back and bottom to be rotatably moved relative to the other. However; any forces which are imposed on the seat back, seat bottom, and the upper and lower parts of the hinge are transmitted to the pin.
The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above.
In one aspect of the present invention, a hinge is provided. The hinge includes a first member, a second member, and a pivot housing. The pivot housing includes an inner housing and an outer housing. The inner housing is fixedly coupled to the first member. The outer housing is fixedly coupled to the second member. The hinge distributes forces acting upon the hinge between the inner and outer housings.
In another aspect of the present invention, a hinge is provided. The hinge includes a first member, a second member, and a pivot housing. The pivot housing includes an inner housing and an outer housing. The inner housing is fixedly coupled to the first member. The outer housing is fixedly coupled to the second member. The inner housing includes guide members and the outer housing includes an inner wall. The guide members engage the inner wall to distribute forces acting upon the hinge between the inner and outer housings. A pin is located through apertures in the inner and outer housings and is adapted to maintain the inner and outer housings in a close relationship.